U.S. Health Agency Cancels Research Contract Involving Use of Fetal Tissue

By Reuters Staff

June 05, 2019

(Reuters) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Wednesday it would cancel its research contract involving human fetal tissue from elective abortions with the University of California.

The decision follows an audit of all HHS researches involving human fetal tissue from elective abortions in light of "the serious regulatory, moral and ethical considerations involved," the U.S. agency said.

HHS said the existing contract with the San Francisco university would not be renewed, after it expires on Wednesday.

The agency said it had terminated in September a contract between Advanced Bioscience Resources Inc and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that provided human fetal tissue to develop testing protocols.

Any research conducted within the National Institutes of Health that requires new acquisition of fetal tissue from elective abortions will not be conducted, the agency said.